


My Neighbor is My Husband

by SapphireLotus11



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:00:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24160219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphireLotus11/pseuds/SapphireLotus11
Summary: When an attempt to kill Orochimaru goes bad, Sasuke returned to the village with an unconscious Karin and a child along with him. With Naruto as the new hokage, he couldn't just turn her away knowing that Orchimaru's hunting for her and the baby so he allows her a place to stay- as a next door neighbor, promising to do anything and everything she needed.
Relationships: Hyuuga Hinata/Uchiha Sasuke, Karin/Uzumaki Naruto, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Comments: 5
Kudos: 28





	1. Attack at the Sound

**Author's Note:**

> Yes the illusive Sapphirelotus11 is back with another WIP transferring from Wattpad onto here!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this takes place in stead of the "Gaiden" to give you a sense of timeline.

_They had it all planned out: The attack on Otogakure, in the cover of darkness._

_It was to be the ending to all their misery._

" _Damnit!_ " Sasuke cursed under his breath.

The village hidden in the sound, Orochimaru's main base of operations, was now burning down in a fiery blaze. The Uchiha's plan was to attack in the dead of night and burn his so called "village" along with him. He used the time that he was away from Konoha, to rendezvous with team Taka and plot this plan in greater detail. It was assumed of course, that the planned had worked and Orochimaru should be dead... 

Of course, they all should have known that the sannin would never make their death so simple. 

Kabuto his one and only faithful assistant, sacrificed himself so that his lord could escape once more.

Thus team Taka's victory tonight, was bittersweet, but was better than a total failure.

Although Jugo and Suigetsu scouted and surveyed the area for any more of the henchmen or followers, Sasuke himself was looking for someone. Specifically, he was looking for Karin. Even though she was aware of the plan and was part of it, she did not take part initially. A few days prior to the attack, she snuck away from her teammates successfully without rousing suspicion. When Sasuke asked about her whereabouts, Suigetsu explained that she probably had some " _u_ _nfinished business elsewhere._ " to deal with.

"Ey! Over here! We've got trouble!" Suigetsu called out from the west.

Sasuke and Jugo raced over to Suigetsu's location, what they saw shocked them both as much as it initially shocked Suigetsu:

They found Karin, unconscious in nothing but a white medical gown. What came at an even greater shock, was that there tucked protectively in her arms- was a crying new born baby...

Naturally, they all had a million questions running through their minds right now, but with Otogakure now in flames and crumbling before them, those questions would have to wait. Sasuke instructed Jugo to carry Karin and the child as they raced off into the dense thick woods. Because the journey straight to Konohagakure would take too long, he and his team headed instead to Yugakure in the Hot Water Country which was much closer. Yu wasn't as large as Konoha, but it provided enough of the basics that could tide the team over until they could reach the other village.

Sasuke even made it practically mandatory for both Suigetsu and Jugo to not mention a word to Karin about everything until they were in Konoha. It was more for Suigetsu but he wanted to ensure that there would be no more issues. Especially now that there was a baby accompanying them all.

Speaking off, the doctors of Yugakure ensured that the child was perfectly healthy if not a little underweight. Karin was also said to be fine as well:

_"No major injuries that we could tell, but I'd personally suggest keeping an eye on her for a little bit to be sure."_

That wasn't a problem for the team.

Of course, Karin fought it at every chance she could. Loudly protesting that she was fine or to stop hovering over her, but Sasuke was having absolutely none of that. And he even furthered that point once the team finally made it to Konohagakure. 

" _Seriously_? You took care of it all by yourself?" Naruto asked as he looked almost too interested behind his desk.

Sasuke and his team arrived roughly three days ago. He knew Sakura and Shizune had more medical experience, so he specifically asked them to look over Karin and the child. Naturally the news of Sasuke's return would spark Naruto's meddling within a matter of minutes. Even as a hokage, his old habits haven't died out. 

"My team did help." The Uchiha simply answered. "Oto is destroyed so that's all you need to worry about. What about Karin, how is she?"

"Sakura says she'll be fine in no time." The new hokage shrugged. "If you want more of those fancy details you'll have to ask her yourself."

"At least she's alright." Sasuke told him. "I'll check in on the matter later." He said while exiting.

Naruto raised a brow. "Leaving so soon? I thought you'd want to tell me more about how you _destroyed an entire base of operations_."

"It's been a long day, and I haven't been able to sleep properly in weeks..."

The blonde smirked as he leaned back in his chair. "Oh I get it, that's code for wanting to see Hinata huh?"

" _You're so smart..._ " Sasuke replied with heavy sarcasm.

Naruto wasn't wrong though, he was in fact craving to see his wife after being away for far too long. Much to his frustration, the road to "redemption" did require a lot of traveling and time away from Hinata. In hindsight, the information he brought back did help to better shape Konoha, but there were plenty of other capable shinobi for that too. Regardless, it was how he was able to plot Orochimaru's theoretical down fall at least. 

For now, his thoughts were simply filled with going back home. The same home where he can rest his head for a little while with the comforts Hinata brought. It was still early in the night, the birds that occupied the surrounding trees greeted him along the way. He walked inside quietly, so is not to disturb Hinata in case she was asleep.

"Ah!"

_Well so much for that idea..._

He stared with mixed amazement to see the little baby boy still awake at this hour. This of course, was his son. He had choral black hair and grey cloud colored eyes. He was calling out to him. In all honesty, Sasuke would have thought the child would cry or show some notion that he was indeed scared of this man...

_And yet he acted as though he automatically knew that he was in fact his father._

"Ahhhh!" The small cry was louder this time as he crawled closer to him.

"Ryuusuke-" Hinata stopped dead in her tracks from the kitchen, to see Sasuke holding his son with his good arm.

"Ryuusuke... It's a good name for him. " Sasuke remarked. "He has a powerful set of lungs... _Like a dragon_." The Uchiha mused.

She couldn't hold back the urge to rush over and hug him tightly. Sasuke almost lost his balance as he accepted her embrace. "I missed you too." He said softly, his chin resting atop of her hair.

So is not to smother Ryuusuke, Hinata pulled away from Sasuke but still kept her arms around him. She was trying not to cry at first, but there were tears that escaped and lingered on the sides of her face. "I-I would have made you dinner... Had I'd known you'd be back tonight I mean..." She began.

He shook his head. "I'm more tired than hungry, you don't have to cook." He handed the now extremely curious child back to his mother. "His birth went well I take it?"

She nodded "Yes, he was born- on your birthday..."

"I see." He replied before examining his wife again.

He didn't notice at first, but now he saw that her eyes were actually red as if she cried before his arrival. He deiced not to speak about it as she started to insist on dinner.

He allowed her to do so.

Later that evening, he wasted no time in allowing his body to surrender to their queen sized bed.

"I'm glad you were able to come back sooner than expected..." Her voice was calmer now.

He combed his hand through her midnight blue hair and exhaling softly. He never thought he would be effected by being touch starved until he could touch her again after so so long. 

"Are you alright Sasuke?"

"Just exhausted. Things didn't go as I originally intended, but Kabuto is dead. I can be content with that."

She nuzzled closer to him. "I thought you smelled of fire earlier..."

"I set fire to their main base of operations as well, but Orochimaru managed to escape." He explained. "Not to mention, one of my teammates was found with a newborn while this all happened."

"I see..."

He planted a small kiss on her lips. "But I'm alright now, you don't have to worry."

She smiled back and enjoyed the warmth of her husband. It was a stress relief for the both of them to be back in each other's arms again.


	2. The Proposition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just so there's no confusion, Akemi in this story is Sarada. I switched the names cause Akemi just sounds better imo.

_Some time in the middle of the night..._

Karin awoke violently, with sweat streaming down all over her body. She panted as her body trembled while she scrambled to find her glasses. Once found, she was able to observe her surroundings better:

The first and obvious, was the IV bag in her right arm. She was in another hospital. This wasn't like Yugakure at all, this hospital had better commodities and better equipment. Her white gown was replaced with something a lot cleaner as well. In conclusion, Sasuke must have kept his word, and they are all in Konohagakure now.

With that deduction reached, her senses were able to relax a bit. Looking at the wall mounted clock, it was around 3 in the morning, and she was alone. She also had a horrible headache, and her body was sore almost like it was during the fourth shinobi war.

" _Lovely_..." She grumbled to herself.

Taking a sip of water that someone left for her, she took a more focused deep breath. She was in Konoha for a second time now. Not as a subject of interrogation, but as a- patient? That seemed about right... But then something far more pressing sparked in her mind...

_The baby!_

Where was that child? She thought she had been successful in keeping Sasuke, Suigetsu and Jugo out of her business! So much for going unnoticed...

Still she needed to figure out where that baby was- now! She tried to stand up straight away, but immediately regretted that decision, as she clung to a side table to stop the room from spinning. Once the dizziness subsided, the search for that child was on. 

Karin tip-toed while peeking in the rooms for any signs of that newborn. She could recall that the child was confirmed to be a girl, and she remembered their tuft of dark burgundy hair. It took some work, but she found the infant crying in a room where a few other newborns were sound asleep. Karin let out a small sigh of relief, and did a once over of the infant herself. Thankfully she was healthy and unharmed.

That was welcomed good news, given the hell she went through before she went unconscious. Karin cradled them in her arms the baby's cries soon subsided.

Another three hours later, the regular staff of the hospital came in and tended to their duties. Sakura came in to do her rounds as she was Shizune's second, and is the captain of the nurses unit. She was also tasked with looking after Karin when Sasuke brought her in along with the baby. This morning, one of the nurses reported that a newborn was missing. The pinkette instructed the rest of the nurses to keep a close eye on the remaining babies, while she started to search in the various rooms. She didn't want to cause panic if she can help it. She did a search of the first floor and was now moving up the second. 

Sakura knocked on Karin's room door. "Karin? Its Sakura, I just need a minute of your ti-"

Before Sakura could finish her sentence as she came in, she witnessed Karin nursing- what can now be assumed to be, the missing infant.

"Don't be so loud." The Uzumaki warned. "I just got her quiet." Karin whispered.

"Karin..."

She smirked. "Overheard the frantic nurses. You can call of the search. _I_ took my daughter."

Sakura sighed. "I was coming to check on how _you_ were doing but- I can see that you're doing more than just okay."

" _No I'm not_." Karin huffed. "I've got a major headache, I'm sore, and what's a girl gotta do to get some food?" She grumbled. "I just- wanted to make sure that-..." Karin looked down at her daughter somberly. " _That Akemi was okay..._ "

Sakura smiled softly. "I can get you some food and something for the pain. Oh, Naruto and Sasuke are coming by to talk to you later."

The red head gave a look of concern. "What? Why?!"

"Well, Sasuke seemed pretty adamant on making sure you were okay. He told me to inform him on your progress, so I told him you were alright." Sakura explained. "Besides, you two were teammates right? I'm sure he only wants to make sure for himself." She smiled. "But, I'll leave you so you can get back to Akemi. And I'll make sure someone brings you that food kay?"

Karin watched as Sakura left her room and slumped back on her bed. " _Wonderful_..." 

...

True to her word Sakura did get her food and something for her pounding headache. It was still considered breakfast hours so a hearty breakfast was brought up for Karin to enjoy. With the mishap now cleared about the missing baby, Karin now also had clearance to see Akemi any time she wanted as well. The morning itself wasn't so bad, it was the dreaded knock on the door that came during the afternoon that changed everything.

Like Sakura said, it was Sasuke... At least he came alone.

"You're looking-... _Well rested_ Sasuke!" Karin tried to cover the fact that she was nervous.

"And you're _still alive_ Karin." He gave a flat and blunt response.

She gave a small nervous chuckle, as she scratched the side of her head. " _Aren't I the lucky one..._ "

"What were doing with Kabuto and Orochimaru?! More importantly, **why** were you still keeping in touch with them?"

_Still straight to the point as always..._

Karin started to frown. She knew this was coming, but it didn't make things any easier. "I know this looks really bad bu-"

"You were left for dead with a newborn."

"Yeah I know... About that- I-"

"Do you realize that had it not been for Suigetsu finding you, that you and that child would be dead along with Kabuto? Do you realize the kind of risk you were taking by not telling any of us? Karin you are never this careless and reckless. You of all people, know about his horrible treatment of us! What the hell were you thinking?!"

Although Sasuke was scolding her like a father to their child, Karin knew that this was his way of showing concern for her. She couldn't argue his standpoint: She did know the kind of person Orochimaru was first hand. Looking back, it did seem like one big fools errand.

"I had very little choice in the matter Sasuke." She began. "When the war ended and we all went our separate ways, Kabuto found me..."

Sasuke raised a brow. "How did he find you?"

"That four-eyed bastard was spying on us from afar." She answered with disdain. "Since he knew better than to try to go after you or Suigetsu or even Jugo, he sought _me_ out. He threatened to tell Orochimaru about your plan to kill him, and attack this village again if I didn't comply to what he wanted." She explained. "I should have called his bluff, but I was too caught up with worrying about your plan. My hands were tied..."

"But now Kauto's dead, and Otogakure is destroyed."

"Which means Orochimaru knows now..."

Sasuke had a grim expression on his face. Things have been prospering since Kakashi passed the hokage position to Naruto, but Kohonagakure is no where near ready to handle another attack. _Especially from Orochimaru_. "What about that child?"

"Well, originally since he couldn't take- your body like he wanted to. So the alternative, was to raise an Uchiha of their very own. They needed me because I was the surrogate mother... By collecting different genes from- gods knows where, he spliced them together. Little did they know until it was too late, they had no Uchiha genes to splice. Orchimaru knows I should have given birth by now. whether they know if the child is alive or not remains to be scene."

"Then you're not safe here..." He concluded.

She nodded. "I know."

"For now, I will keep an eye out in case he's already here. Once you're able to leave the hospital, I'll inform Jugo and Suigetsu that we'll be leaving." Sasuke explained. "We'll head to Hoshigakure. It's one of the few places he doesn't have ties in, so you should be fine there."

Neither of them said anything else before Sasuke departed, there was already so much was weighing on her mind: _First the baby, then Kabuto threatening her, and now Orochimaru is potentially on the hunt for her and this child._

 _"_ This day couldn't get any worse right? _"_

There was another knock at the door "Helloooo??? It's me Naruto! You got minute?"

 _"I had to asked aloud..._ " Karin sighed in frustration. "It's open!" 

The blonde came in her room, all smiles of course. She could only hope he was there to check on her and then leave. This was not the right time for idle conversations...

"Yes I'm okay and Akemi is too..." Karin said right off the bat in hopes of huring this blonde fool out the door.

Naruto wasn't surprised by her pissed off demeanor, hospitals weren't his favorite places in the world either. "Heheh! So I take it you're really to get out of here already huh?"

"The sooner the better..." She answered while cleaning her glasses. "I already talked with Sasuke, we're going to Hoshigakure once I'm able to leave."

" _All_ the way out there? Why so far?"

She didn't really feel like explaining the situation, but he was the hokage.... "It's complicated, but basically I'm now being hunted. So the further away from your village, the better for everyone."

Naruto raised a brow. "Hunted by who?"

" _He deals with snakes..._ "

" Oh... Orochimaru."

"That's right. He'll come here first, so I need to leave as soon as possible with the baby."

"You'd travel all the way to Hoshigakure with your child?"

Karin rolled her eyes. "Tch, I can take care of myself thank you! Why does it even concern you so much anyway?"

"Well, because it would be a lot harder for you to travel around. I mean, Orochimaru would try to find you regardless right?"

"If you're so _knowledgeable_ , what do you suggest I do then?" The sarcasm heavy in her voice.

Naruto shrugged. "I would suggest doing the easier thing and just stay here." He answered.

Karin rubbed her temples. "Didn't you hear what I just said?! _Orochimaru is looking for me!_ Why the hell would I stay here so he can find me?!"

"Because you'll be better protected here verses out traveling."

Karin gave him a baffled look. "You're saying it's better to let Orochimaru come here, and potentially destroy your entire village?"

"I'm saying your baby will have a better life here than out there."

"I-..." That comment gave her pause. Even though she didn't want to admit it, Naruto was right about that. "Even if I stayed here, where would I live?"

He grinned. "Next door to me!" 

Karin deadpanned. "What?"

"I'm serious! You can live next door to me and just- do stuff!" He said nonchalantly.

" _How in the world did this guy become the hokage_?" She thought while she shook her head in shame. "You actually want me to stay?"

"I'm not going to _demand_ you stay or anything like that. Think of it as a proposition from the hokage."

Karin really didn't have much in the ways of a better ideas. There were only two options: 

Leave and risk Orochimaru finding her and the child.

Or-

Stay and be a sitting duck.

Needless to say, the latter was starting to look more appealing the more she thought about it. "Aren't you worried about pissing off Sasuke?"

He waved a hand. "Oh he'll get mad for a minute, but he knows I can come up with a good plan or two."

She gave one last roll of the eyes and sighed. "I guess I'll pick the lesser of two evils then..."

"Great! I-"

" _You_ will just show me where this place is. From there on, _I_ can take care of Akemi _myself_." She demanded.

He blinked in shocked but nodded. "Fine, fine... It'll get done _your_ way."


	3. Priorities

A few days after Naruto's inital proposal, it didn't take long for Sasuke to hear about it as well. Of course, the loud mouth Uzumaki would have flat out told him. Karin was putting a bit too much faith in Naruto's ablitity to keep quiet about things...

Now, she had the pleasure of watching Naruto and Sasuke clash words over it. Sasuke wasn't pleased by Naruto's nonchalant grin. 

"Sasuke you worry too much! You should know she'll be safe here with us." Naruto rebutted. "We've dealt with Orochimaru before, we can deal with him again."

Sasuke shook his head. "This situation is much different Naruto. He's gotten stronger since the war, you know he will come up with an elaborate and very dangerous plan."

Naruto crossed his arms. "And _we_ have dealt with Madara, Kaguya- _do I need to go down the list_?" He asked. "I'm not scared of what some creepy snake guy will do. I say, bring it on!" 

Sasuke looked ready to punch him. " _Bring him here and possibly destroy the village?_ After it took _so long_ to repair the damages done from the war?" He reiterated.

"We're not as defenseless as we were back then. Plus, I'm not going to sit around should he attack either. Constantly moving around from place to place, isn't the greatest idea with a baby Sasuke."

"Waiting around so the child could be killed, isn't so smart either. If she stays here, she's bait Naruto. At least in Hoshigakure, they will be safer because it would be harder for Orochimaru to track them."

Karin quietly got up from her the bed. Listening to these two bicker was really bringing her mood down. Both Naruto and Sasuke quickly turned their attention to her.

"Eh? Karin what's-"

"At the rate you two were arguing, you were going to make Akemi cry. And that wouldn't be good for _anyone_ now would it." Karin quickly cut Naruto off

He frowned. "Right..."

"But I have listened to the both of you, and Naruto's actually right on this one Sasuke." She admitted.

Both men looked at one another in disbelief then back at Karin as she spoke. "If I travel with you again with Akemi, I'd just be more of a burden than actual help. I can't heal you guys _and_ take care of a baby, that's just not possible." She turned to the both of them with a stern look on her face. "On the same note, I _am_ an adult. So I can fully take care of myself. I don't need anyone looming over my head while I'm here." She pointed out.

Naruto simply nodded in agreement and Sasuke continued to listened. He knew just how stubborn she can get sometimes, so it would interesting to see how Naruto would handle it. "Where exactly will be staying?" He asked.

She began to blush a bit while pouting. "T-The hokage kindly offered me residence- _next door to him_."

Sasuke soon glared at Naruto, as the blonde gave a nervous chuckle. "I told you she'd be safe!" 

Sasuke sighed and ran a hand through his black hair. This was a grand opening for something disastrous to happen. However, at this point he knew better than to try and argue with Karin anymore. Hearing them both yelling at him, is an event he'd rather not have to experience... **Ever**. So, the Uchiha simply surrendered and agreed to both Uzumakis.

The formalities of the event didn't seem so bad either, just a bit of paper work and everything was set. Sasuke helped with moving furniture into her new home along with Naruto. The apartment was small, but it would have to do for the both of them. She was more concerned about the baby's well being anyway, making sure there was food, cloths, and all the basic essentials for Akemi. If she was taken care of, the rest would be fine. Still, this all felt extremely frightening in her mind.

 _"I'm actually a mother now..."_ The thought echoed in her mind as she changed into some pajamas.

" _Me. A mom. I have a daughter..."_ She exhaled softly while she slumped into bed.

Naruto gave her some money so she could go shopping tomorrow. That was before he came by to _constantly remind her to go to him if she needed anything_. Sheesh! How pushy can a person be?! It bothered her to no end just how friendly he was, and yet it was part of the warmth he radiated so dearly. She groaned as she tossed and turned on to her back while staring at the slow spinning ceiling fan.

" _No. No way! I am not getting involved with any sort of romances! Survival first."_ She reminded herself. 


	4. Make Yourself at Home

It all seemed like some weird fever dream at first, but Karin was very aware of what was happening. _If you were to tell her that she was going to live next do to a hokage? She'd laugh in your face and probably call you an idiot_. Yet, low and behold, here she was; _moving in, right next door to Naruto, the seventh hokage._ She had help of course, Sasuke and a few other handled the heavy stuff and she was able to handle the rest on her own. The place was decent enough, not too big but it wasn't ridiculously small either. It would do for her and for Akemi. 

Once fully settled in, there was only the matter of adjusting to life here. In her eyes it felt like punishment given all that's happen, she wasn't necessarily- friendly with the others here like Sasuke could be. Still, she needed to adapt and the first part of that was getting work. Because of her skills and abilities, Sakura gave her a spot on the nurses unit and she's one of Shizune's field operatives. She wasn't a big fan of helping others- but it would have to do for now. 

Then came actually navigating this village: It was far larger than she had originally remembered it to be. There were different areas and subareas that were really starting to give the Uzumaki a headache. She'd try to go one way, and somehow end up on the other side of Konohagkure. _Needless to say, it was a process..._

One place she was able to go to-and-from successfully, was Ichiraku's Ramen Stall. There she decided to have a lunch break after a rather uneventful exploration.

"Karin?"

She looked up to see who the voice was. It was Sasuke's wife Hinata, and she had their son tied around her chest region in a rather useful manner. "Are you alright?" She asked.

Karin chuckled. "Depends on what you mean by _alright_." 

"Are you adjusting to life in Konoha?" Hinata rephrased the question.

Karin could physically feel her irritations coming back with a vengeance. "This village is too confusing!" She began. "Trying to navigate through this place is like a maze! I try to run to get groceries and somehow I end up at the training grounds!"

Hinata frowned a bit. "I'm sorry to hear that, but maybe I could show you around. You know, to help you get your bearings?"

Karin waved a hand dismissively. "No no I don't want to inconvenience you. I'm sure you're busy." 

Hinata smiled. "It's no bother. Besides, I was just going to the store to get groceries myself. I don't mind at all." 

Karin's red eyes began to sparkle. "O-Okay then! Lead the way!" 

The women eagerly walked the roads of Konoha together. Hinata showed Karin the various stores and landmarks she should also be familiar with. Karin was both relieved and amazed at how many different places there were to get food as well. Once their little tour was finished, they walked back to Karin's apartment with groceries in hand, Karin almost pleaded to learn the ways of how to hold a baby the way Hinata had her son.

"Don't worry, once I have everything sorted out I will pay you back for everything."

Hinata shook her head. "You don't need to pay me back, it was no trouble Karin."

"But still! You gave me a tour, and help me get stuff for me and Akemi-"

She smiled. "I _wanted_ to help you." 

Karin pouted in defeat. "I can see now what Sasuke meant by calling you a wonder..."

"A wonder?"

She nodded. "Sometimes he would say that, but he's always grateful for what you do and he cherishes you." She explained. "Usually people want _something_ in return, but you don't. _That_ is a wonder indeed." She pondered.

Hinata giggled at that notion. "My kindness shall remain a mystery then."

"It shall indeed." Karin took a good look at the now wide awake Ryuusuke. "You've got a good mommy Ryuu-san!" She cooed.

They both grinned at the response that small child was displaying, as if he was trying to talk back. Akemi even tried to chime in to their discussion.

"Well, I should get going. I'm sure you've got other things to do now." Hinata said.

Karin nodded. "Ah, yeah that's right. Naruto's supposed be coming over later too... Some hokage! I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind." She replied curtly.

Hinata nodded with a nervous smile before waving goodbye.

Karin quickly waved back the best she could while trying to balance Akemi. _It was a lot harder than Hinata made it look..._

Once day turned to evening, Karin was able to get the last of the things on her massive to do list out of the way. With Akemi finally asleep, she slumped on the couch with her herbal tea, legs crossed, and hair up in a pony-tail.

"He's late..." She grumbled.

Naruto made a deal with Karin that he would " _check in_ " from time to time, just to see how she was acclimating to life here. In all honesty she thought he was taking advantage of the fact that they were next door neighbors. Still, she agreed to play nice so she would let his tardiness slide for now. After fifteen minutes passed, a knock _finally_ came at the door while she was enjoying some cup noodles for dinner. Naruto finally arrived and he was holding a rather large box and gasping heavily.

"Karin! Hey!" He struggled to speak. "Sakura-chan and I went out-! And-! We got you and little Akemi some stuff! I would have brought it by sooner, but you weren't home." He explained while trying to catch his breath.

Karin crossed her arms and shook her head. "Stop panting so much, you'll pass out. Come inside and I'll get you some water. Don't slam those boxes either!" She scolded.

Naruto nodded in agreement while lightly setting the box down in the middle of the floor. Karin got him a glass of water which he guzzled down rather quickly.

"Naruto you'll vomit, slow down!" She protested.

"Ah-! Sorry sorry I'll be more careful." He gave a nervous chuckle. "So I see you cleaned up nicely." He said while looking around.

She huffed. "Well yeah, I don't want live in a dump..." 

"That's good. I mean- that's good that you're all moved in and settled."

She gave a small rolled of the eyes. "Yeah yeah, I went out with Hinata for your information. She helped me get some more stuff."

He grinned. "Great! Hinata-chan is a really great person, I'm sure the two of you will be fast friends in no time." 

She tensed a bit trying not to blush. "She did me a favor, but we're not friends."

Naruto tilted his head in confusion but shrugged it off. "Whatever you say..."

Karin could see Naruto's expression but simply closed her eyes and sighed. "Look, I'm not ungrateful alright? I appreciate help when it's given to me, but I'm not some helpless dame who can't do anything. I've been able to survive on my own, I can do it again here." She explained.

"No no I get that." Naruto replied. "Sasuke's told me a bit about you so I'll try not to be a pest- but no promises!" He teased.

That earned a smirk from Karin as she rolled her eyes.

" All I'm saying is that now you have options. You can do things alone, but there is power in numbers too." He explained. "So if you ever need anything, all you gotta do is ask, and someone'll help you." He smiled.

The red head looked to the blonde Uzumaki as he spoke." _There's that warm chakra again..."_ She thought while she smirked to herself.

"I'll be sure to remember that..."


	5. Babysitter-Sama

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, there is a bit of a timeskip in this chapter. Akemi is no longer just a baby, she's a 4 year old now. Which also means here generation are now around that age as well including Ryuusuke.

"Naruto-sama, is mama away again?"

The seventh looked on the opposite end of the dining room table, to the four year old girl slurping the noodles that he made for her. "Yeah, she's with uncle Sasuke remember?"

"Yeah..." She replied glumly while stirring the broth.

"Hey chin up kiddo, mama's out fighting bad guys!" He assured her.

Akemi perked up. "Really?" 

"You bet! She even saved uncle Sasuke one time, she's pretty strong you know." He told her.

"Can I be strong like mama?"

He grinned. "Absolutely! You'll be strong just like her in no time! Just you wait!"

She smiled and adjusted her glasses. "I gotta train hard then! I'll grow up and be just like mama someday! Naruto-sama can you help me to be strong?"

He chuckled. " I will! But we gotta tell your mama first so I don't get in trouble."

The young girl pouted. "Hmmm... I hope she comes back soon with uncle Sasuke."

Naruto went over to clean up her empty bowl, but not before ruffling her hair a bit. He knows that she doesn't get to spend as much time with her mother as she should. It was partially his fault as well, he does what he can by spending time with her when he as the free time. Karin and Sasuke weren't taking any chances with Orochimaru still prowling around either. Every few weeks, they go on an exhibition with the other former members of their team and try to track him down. Since Naruto was their neighbor, he practically helped raised Akemi from the time she was a year old. Hinata and Sakura help out as well whenever they can too. They provided guidance to the sometimes clueless 7th hokage about taking care of a girl.

_3 days earlier_

_Karin slammed her first down onto Naruto's desk."_ _I said **NO**! Did you not hear me the first time?!" _

_"Here we go..." Sasuke rolled his eyes and took a seat, getting comfy for today's show._

_"Oh come on Karin! Just let me take care of Akemi while you're gone, there won't be any problems!" The 7th tried to reason with her._

_She was getting furious quickly. "What part of **NO** , are you not registering in your brain?!" _

_"I don't see what the problem is! I wouldn't think as the seventh hokage, you'd want me to watch her!" He barked back._

_"Well guess what, hokage or not I'm not entrusting you to look after my child!"_

_Naruto crossed his arms in frustration while Sasuke cleared his throat. "Karin, who else would you have to watch her then?" He asked._

_She paused. "I-I would have asked Hinata-san of course! Or maybe even Sakura-san!"_

_"Sakura runs the hospital so her schedule is too chaotic for her to do so." He explained. "And my wife cannot because she has to tend to the seal removals in her family. As well as taking care of our son." He told her._

_She frowned. "Yeah, but Sasuk-"_

_"Karin..."_

_She felt like a child being scolded by her father, she hated when Sasuke was right. Naruto couldn't help but grin after Sasuke's explanation, good to know the teme still had his back after all these years. Yet for Karin, the situation was anywhere but her favor. Even after residing in Kohonagakure for a few years now, she was still very weary of trusting others._

_Sasuke caught on to this. "I know how you can get when it comes to trusting others, but Naruto is someone you can trust with her."_

_She knows of their checkered history together, so for Sasuke to put a vote in Naruto's favor was a sign of reassurance. Although Karin was just being stubborn, she caved and crossed her arms. "Fine..."_

_Naruto grinned ear to ear like he was still a teen again._

_Karin glared at the cheesing seventh. "But there better not be a strand of hair out of place on her head. Do you understand me? Not a single strand!"_

_Naruto's grin easily faded and turned to fear. "Y-Yes ma'am!"_

_She wasn't as content as Sasuke was with this little agreement. Must have been her motherly instincts starting to emerge or something... She was even less than pleased, when she had to deliver the news to her daughter about her departure._

_"Why can't I come with you mama?"_

_"Because Akemi, it's for grown ups only..." Karin answered. "Naruto-sama will be taking care of you until I get back." She explained._

_Akemi's pout only increased as she crossed her arms. Just like her mother, she too didn't like the idea of the 7th hokage being her babysitter. "I wanna stay with Ryuusuke and Aunty Hinata like last time..."_

_"I know sweetie, but Naruto-sama is-... Nice." She had to force the word out. "He wanted to meet you, so let's not be rude."_

_The blonde grinned and he knelt down, "Heh, I'm sure we'll be friends in no time ne Akemi-chan?"_

_The small girl furrowed her brow and simply turned away from him._

_Naruto gave a nervous chuckle, she was indeed Karin's daughter..._

_It took some doing on his part for a bound to be established. Akemi was reluctant to listen out of politeness, but if there were times when she did not have to listen, she opted not to. Naruto thought he was good with kids, he acted as the big brother to Konohamaru for the longest. Then again he knew Sarutobi's grandson since they were kids..._

_Akemi was a much different case of course, so he took the initiative to get to know her:_

_For starters, he learned that she was an Uzumaki as she was a big eater like her mom and himself. He couldn't help but chuckle at how eager she was, when he took her to Ichiraku's for the first time. The way she was able to finish a katsudon bowl almost reminded him of when he was younger._

_Then as the days progressed, he was slowly learning more and more about the little girl. Small things like her favorite food, the colors she liked, even her favorite activities while outside at the playground._

_.........._

"Ne ne, Naruto-sama!"

He blinked a bit coming back from his daydream. "Y-Yeah?"

The four year old huffed. "I _saiiid_ , are you gonna tell me a story about fighting bad guys again? I like them a lot!"

Naruto looked to the clock, it was almost nine at night already. He knew how strict Karin was about time management, and he had been keeping a good record of making sure Akemi was in bed before ten. "You bet! Have I told you about how I met Gamabunta?"

She eagerly shook her head. "No but I wanna know!"

"Well, we'll have to get ready for bed, then I'll tell all about the Giant toad with a sword!" 

"Cool!" She cheered as she headed towards the bathroom.


	6. Adjusting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This has a bit of a time skip and there are new characters to introduce! Sachiko's generation are now little kids! Not quite gennin yet but they are on their way!  
> Akemi = Karin's daughter  
> Ryuusuke = Sasuke and Hinata's son  
> Kyoji = Kiba and Tenten's son  
> Sayuri = Neji and Sakura's daughter (Yes Neji's is alive in this story)  
> Inoue = Shino and Ino's daughter

"Seven! Eight! Nine! Ten! Ready or not here I come!" Ryuusuke called out to his friends.

Now an active seven year old, Ryuusuke was enjoying some play time with his classmates from the academy. There were 10 students all together, but he was joined by the two he considered his friends.

The first was another boy, same age as himself. He was snickering to himself as he was hiding from Ryuusuke in the nearby bushes. Walnut brown hair and Umber brown eyes, Kyoji was eagerly trying his best to outsmart his good friend. He had a knack for hide and seek, having played it so much with his father Kiba. Not to mention, he also took after his father's competitive spirit.

"He'll never find me in here!" He whispered to himself.

Across the way, another of Ryuusuke's friends was giggling as she hid behind a tree. Akemi was never one to say no to a good game of hide and seek. Among the four girls in her class, Uzumaki was the tomboy of the group. She wasn't afraid to get dirty, nor did she take any nonsense from a potential bully. The girl with glasses didn't have many friends, but she loved the company of Kyoji and Ryuusuke. In her eyes, those two were her brothers. 

The ten students were at play under Suzume's watchful eyes. The Jounin was used to working with children for many years now, it always filled her heart with delight watching them run around.

"Five more minutes, then it's back inside everyone!" She called to her students.

"HAI!" All ten replied.

" _Better hurry Ryuu_!" Kyoji teased, while swiftly weaving his way through the leaves and twigs. "If I win, you gotta help Suzume-sensei clap the erasers again!"

Ryuusuke only shook his head, and easily followed the sounds to the bushes. "Too bad that's not today Kyo!" He smirked. " _Maybe next time though_." And tap the other on the shoulders.

Kyoji only groaned before giving his friend a piggyback ride. "Bah! You got those special eyes from aunty Hinata!" He huffed.

Ryuusuke laughed. "You _always_ say I got my moms eyes. Are you sure it's not cause I'm getting better at finding you~?"

That only earned a pout from the young Inuzuka. "I almost won for sure! Right Akemi?"

The mentioned Akemi caught up to the duo from her hiding spot, as they were walking back to the rest of the group. " _I dunno Kyo, I was hiding behind that tree and you didn't even notice_."

"Hey! I thought you were on my side!"

"All's fair before hide and seek." She shrugged. "Thems the rules."

Ryuusuke only started to laugh more at Kyoji's dejected expressions with Akemi laughing a little as well. It was all in good fun of course. After all ten of her students were back inside, class resumed as normal. They were learning about the history of their village this week, and it couldn't have been more **boring**!

Thankfully it breezed through the afternoon light and the children were dismissed for the day. While they waiting for their parents, the group were back outside by the playground. The usual trio were joined by Ryuusuke's younger cousin Sayuri and her friend Inoue. The five children were all scattered about on the jungle gym.

"Ne, Ryuu-koto, is it true you're gonna be a big brother soon?" Sayuri asks as she twirled some of her peach blonde hair.

"Uh-huh." He answered.

"Does that mean uncle Sasuke's coming home again?" Akemi asked while dangling from the bars.

"That's what my mom says. I hope so." He said as he swung his dangling legs.

"You want a little brother or a sister?" Inoue asked.

"Pshh! Little brother duh!" Kyoji interjected as he did a front flip. "Then my little brother can be friends with Ryuu's!"

Inoue pouted. "What's wrong with a little sister?"

"Nothin! Little brothers are _better_ though, my dad's a little brother." Kyoji explained happily.

Ryuusuke nodded. "My dad's a little brother too. Plus, we'd be just like my dad and his brother if its a boy."

"If you keep saying it's gonna be a boy, my mom says then it won't happen." Akemi clarified while adjusting her glasses. "It's like a birthday wish, you can't say out loud or else it won't come true."

Sayuri turned to Akemi. "Do you have any brothers or sisters Akemi?"

"Nope."

"Well, don't you get lonely?" Inoue also asked.

"A little bit, but I have my mom and Seventh-sama! So it's not so bad." Akemi smiled.

..........

Later at home, Ryuusuke was joining his mother out on the veranda watching the sun go down. He liked to watched the fireflies come out before bedtime, his mother would sometimes tell him stories of when she was an active shinobi.

"Mom, do you know if it's a boy or girl yet?"

"Not yet sweetheart."

"Mmmm." The small child replied in frustration.

If Ryuusuke wasn't born with the Byakugan, he would be perfectly _identical_ to Sasuke. He even shares his stubborn habits and mannerism to the letter. She giggled softly as one hand rested on her pregnant stomach, and the other through her sons black hair. "We will find out in 4 months don't worry."

"Four months is a long long time..." He grumbled.

"It will be here before you know it, and dad will be back home too." She told him.

Her son only burrowed himself a little closer to his mother in a cuddle. "Do you want a girl or a boy, mom?"

She paused for a thought. "Well, I think a little girl would be a nice addition to the family, but I wouldn't mind another boy."

"Hmm... Okay."

She chuckled. " _Do you_ want a little brother Ryuusuke?"

" _Maybe_..." He gave a soft reply. "If I get a brother, then we'd be like dad and his big brother. Even though we never met him."

Hinata gave a warm smile to her son. "I'm sure they'd be delighted about it too Ryuusuke."

.............

In Ichiraku's ramen stall, Naruto sat with a very excited Akemi and a rather concerned Karin.

"Okay Akemi-chan on the count of three! Ready?" He gave the little girl a pair of easy pull-apart chopsticks.

"Ready!" She grinned.

"One-! Two-! THREE!"

After the sound off, Teuchi and Ayame provided three hot, pork cutlet bowls for them to enjoy.

"Itadakimasu!!" They both cheered nice and loud before chowing down.

Naruto had invited Karin and her daughter out regularly for mini dinner dates over the years. It was a neat little way for him to bound with Akemi, but it also served as a sign of good faith for Karin. Even though she has been in Konohagakure for a good few years now, he knew she still had her walls up high.

The red haired woman wasn't much of a social butterfly, primarily choosing to chat and hangout with Ino or Hinata alone when work wasn't an issue.

Karin sighed a little before digging in herself. " _So long as she's smiling_..." She reminded herself internally.

"Mmm! Haha! You got green onion on your nose Naruto-sama!" Akemi giggled.

He raised a brow, but finally noticed and even started to laugh a bit along with her. Little did the duo know that Karin was quietly observing their antics with a soft smile.

" _How cute..."_


	7. When Danger Resurfaces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Kicks down the door* Sup! It's update time! Coming at you with a time skip, Akemi's gen are now genin and I hope you enjoy!

“What do you guys think being a genin will be like?” Kyoji asked as he dangled his feet from a nearby tree. “Do ya think we’ll go on a bunch of missions?”

Akemi was joined by Kyoji and Ryuusuke enjoying the summer afternoon by the riverside. Having graduated from the academy they were all now genin and the trio were even lumped into their very own squad with Rock Lee as their sensei and instructor. 

Ryuusuke, sitting perched on a boulder, gave a shrug. “Dunno, but Mom says we’ll be able to travel around to different villages if we’re lucky.”

Akemi perked up as she dipped her toes in the water. “You really think so?”

“Heck yeah, my parents got to travel around a lot back when they were genin! We’ll be able to in no time!” Kyoji chimed in.

Both Akemi and Ryuusuke had parents who would often travel without them for business purposes. For Akemi, the chance to be like her mother seemed too good to be true. “Well we’ll just tell our new sensei that’s what we want! Who is it anyway?”

“His name is Rock Lee, he used to be on the same team as my mom.” Kyoji explained. “He is supposed to be super strong…” The young boy trailed off as he hopped down from the tree.

“What’s wrong Kyoji?” Akemi asked.

“You don’t hear that?” 

Ryuusuke perked his brow. “Hear what, I don’t hear anything.”

“Neither do I.”

“Yeah exactly: No birds, no deer, not even the frogs that hangout by the river. It’s way too quiet for a sunny afternoon in the summer.” He explained. “Somethings wrong guys.”

“What do you think we should?” Akemi asked.

“I say we investigate.” Ryuusuke said getting off his spot. “It could be someone in trouble.”

“Yeah yeah! Let’s get a move on!” 

“Guys wait we should-!”

Before Akemi could argue against the idea, her teammates were already heading off deeper into the woods. The redhead gave a weary sigh before she followed behind to bring up the rear. “I don’t like this…” She grumbled. 

The trio traveled deep into the woods til Ryuusuke got the idea to use his Byakugan to survey ahead. 

“Woah hey, there’s a lot of chakra.” Ryuusuke spotted. 

“Seriously!? What’s going on Ryuusuke?” Kyoji asked eagerly

“Shut up bone head! You don’t want them to hear us!” Akemi scolded him.

“I don’t know- but they’re are three of them. About 30 feet ahead.” He explained. 

Unknown to the trio up ahead, there were 3 hooded figures patrolling these woods: The shortest one led them as two much taller ones wearing masks, followed behind. 

Akemi soon felt shivers run up her spine and she started to back away slowly. “Guys… I don’t like it here. We need to go back. Something bad is about to happen with those guys.”

“We can’t just let random enemy shinobi prowl around! We can take’em!” Kyoji rebutted. 

“Yelling to each other won’t help either.” Ryuusuke cut in. “The bushes come on!” 

They quickly ducked into the bushes and were completely hidden by the approaching hooded shinobi. The closer they got, the more anxious Akemi became. It was to the point that Ryuusuke had to grip her hand to stop her from shaking. 

“We’re not much further, Konohagakure is within radius.” The “leader” said. “You two remember your objectives?”

“ _Spec ops._ ” The first taller hooded masked one said. 

“ _Ranged observation and proximity moderating._ ” The second said in the same monotone voice. 

“ _Lord Orochimaru has out done himself once again.~_ ”

Akemi accidentally let out a gasp before quickly covering her mouth. Unfortunately the left most taller one turned to the brush. “I sense chakra.”

All three of them cursed internally as they tried to remain as still as physically possible. 

“Three bodies.” The other tall hooded masked man answered.

“Well don’t just stand there! Deal with the-!”

Before their leader could give the order, there was a sudden rush of wind. In a matter of moments, one of the six foot tall men went down like a mighty oak tree. 

“What the hell!?” The leader had to adjust his glasses. “Th-That’s impossible! Who could have done that?!”

The children couldn’t believe it either, but the one who stopped them soon appeared before them and Ryuusuke knew immediately who it was. “Dad!”

Uchiha Sasuke stepped forward to face the remaining two, with his blade drawn and his sharingan primed and ready. “Leave. Now.”

The leader only scoffed before he snapped his fingers for the other tall masked one to attack. Although they clearly used brute force, Sasuke quickly handled them with speed and agility. Soon he was down like his partner, and then the glare turned to the last one who was in the middle of fleeing in the trees. 

“Goddamnit! Lord Orochimaru never mentioned anything about this!” 

Sasuke soon appeared in front of the fleeing man forcing them to jump down from the trees onto the ground. “Y-You!” The stammered. “I-I can explain! I am not your enemy I swear!”

“You are affiliated with Orochimaru.” Sasuke stated flatly. 

“N-Not by choice! I-I swear it’s not my choice! He-! He is the Kage of my village! I-I had to enlist to help! H-Honest!”

Sasuke didn’t seem moved by it at all. “Explain your purpose here.”

“H-He wanted me and these weirdos to watch and observe what goes on in Konohagakure undetected!” They confessed. “Something about checking on old history. I-I didn’t know what he meant by that!” 

“So he’s finally making his move…” Sasuke thought to himself. “Then it’s coming to pass after all.”

“That’s all I know, by the honor of the gods that’s the whole truth! S-So please don’t kill me!” The smaller man pleaded. 

“I won’t kill you.” Sasuke answered, before he activated the rinnegan. 

After a few seconds the man was knocked unconscious before they could even get a word out. “But you are coming in for questioning.” He said as he slung them over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes. 

“Dad!” Ryuusuke called out and the trio finally caught up to him. “Hey dad! What are you doing here?”

“I could ask the same about you three.” He told them.

“We were by the river when Kyoji noticed how quiet it was.” His son told him.

“That’s when we saw those hooded guys.” Kyoji added. 

“We heard them talking a little.” Akemi chimed in. “They said some stuff about spec ops, and proximity monitoring.”

“I see.” Sasuke nodded, more and more of the pieces are coming together. “For now, I need you and your friends to go to the hokage together immediately. I’ll meet you there shortly. Akemi tell your mother that I need her out here as well.” Sasuke told them.

With a nod, the trio soon dashed off to the hokage’s tower to report to them about what had happened here. Something was indeed coming, but it wasn’t anything good. 

…………

  
  
  


“Alright alright! I’m sorry this is so sudden everyone but this was important. So let’s just get down to business!” Naruto addressed everyone in the meeting tonight. “Ino-san, how’d the interrogation go?”

“Smooth and easy.” She chimed. “The man spilled his guts without much hassle and we got a lot of intel that supports Sasuke's initial report.” She explained. “Apparently the guy you brought in was a member of the Hikohiro clan in Hoshigakure. And he says that Orochimaru literally took the village over single handedly.”

“Hoshigakure never had a Kage.” Naruto commented. 

“All the easier to take over.” Shikamaru added. 

“That's exactly how it happened.” Ino told the group. “He killed the elders and self appointed himself as Hoshigakure’s first Hoshikage. All those that tried to resist were killed on sight…”

“This guy's a total monster… Did he confess why he was in Konoha?”

“Just as Sasuke said: He was told to just watch from afar and document the findings.”

“Hmm… Thanks Ino-san. Tell the Interrogation team I said thanks too. Sakura, how’d the Autopsy go?”

Sakura moved some of her pink hair from her face. “Well… Karin and I found things- none of us were expecting. Karin, you can tell them.”

Karin cleared her throat. “Those “men” that Sasuke killed were- anything but human.”

The whole room went into shock.

“For those who don’t know a lot about Orochimaru, unlike Tsunade they were more into inhuman medical practices and a lot of human experimenting.” Karin began. 

“Danzo was a close acquaintance in this as well.” Sasuke added. 

“From the Autopsy, we learned that these bodies were genetically modified to fit into a specific purpose. Fighting. Lots and lots of fighting. Their chakra pools could rival everyone in the room here save for Naruto but knowing Orochimaru he’s trying regardless. ”

“So we got an insane sanin playing mad scientist as well as hoshikage…” Shikamaru muttered. “This is going to be one hell of a disaster.”

“No kidding.” Karin added. “Which means we must buckle down and put an end to this. **Right**. **Now**.”

“Oh we will, don’t you worry about that. Neji, have you got in touch with Kurotsuchi?”

Neji nodded. “I have, she’s agreed to sit down with us this weekend about all of this.”

Naruto smiled. “Good. With Kurotsuchi’s help we’ll have more muscle to help shut down his operations in the Bear Country.”

“With all due respect Naruto, what’s stopping him from attacking us? He’s creating more of these super soldier monsters as we speak, he has more than enough power to do so. Then what?” Karin interjected.

“It won’t come to that.” Sasuke answered her directly. “I am working with the black ops personally and we are fortifying the village's defenses.” He explained. “Come what may, we’ll be ready.” 

“With that being said, this adjourns tonight’s meeting everyone. Thank you for coming at such short notice.” He told everyone. 

Karin still felt uneasy, she was simply not satisfied with what was going on and it was written all over her face. Once everyone else had started clearing out Naruto called out to her. “Oi! Karin-san, you got a minute?”

“Make it quick, Akemi’s waiting at home.” She replied bitterly. 

“Karin, it’s going to be okay.”

“Naruto stop it alright? I’m not sixteen.” 

“I know you still have your doubts because of what happened to you-”

“ _You_ _have absolutely_ ** _no idea_** _what Orochimaru is like! Stop pretending that you do_!” She barked at him. 

Naruto frowned. “I don’t know… You’re right about that. But I do know how to protect those I care about, and I care about you and I care about Akemi.”

Karin bit her lip in some last pitch attempt not to cry in front of him. “I-... **Will die** , before I **ever** let them touch my daughter Naruto…” The tears lingered down her face. “I would only wish what happened to me, on my enemies. She **doesn’t** deserve this!”

“Trust me I know Karin…” He assured her. “She’s a good kid, with a good mom looking out for her.” He said as he cautiously wrapped his arms around her. “But you’re not alone in this battle. You have Sasuke and me and everyone else here. **We** will never let Orochimaru get to Akemi.”

Karin knew he was right, she knew for so long that she didn’t need to be so closed off to people… But it was safer that way. You don’t get your feeling hurt that way… Still, at least in this moment, she took comfort in the fact that Naruto actually cared enough to ease her worries. 


End file.
